ABSTRACT
Caricatures of the poor impact mental models, so too do caricatures of business, in general, and multinational for-profit enterprises, in particular. These caricatures skew our thinking about their roles in poverty alleviation. Distancing the for-profit venture from such biases is, therefore, crucial to imagining new and innovative solutions. Embedded within the dialogue on the complex reality of globalization vis-a-vis the global poor are deeply held suspicions of corporate colonialism and the privatization of “public” goods. Although these discussions rightfully expose such exploitative practices, they also preclude us from reframing the mental models that enslave the global poor to lives of economic destitution. Scholarly assessments like those of T. Berry, J. E. Stiglitz, and S. Kinzer continue to influence current thinking about business activities and ideas about corporate social responsibility.
